1. SR. THESIS FALL PITCH - OVERVIEW
2. SR. THESIS FALL PITCH - BREAKDOWN
3. SR. THESIS FALL PITCH / RESEARCH SUBMISSION GUIDES
4. RESEARCH PROJECT PROPOSALS
1. SR. THESIS FALL PITCH - OVERVIEW
Simply put, your job is to help us imagine your project in our heads . . . and make a convincing case that you and your team-mates are up to the task of completing it by the Spring Showcase.
A. DATES, DETAILS & QUESTIONS
Sr. Project Fall Pitches will not take place until the second week of the fall semester. That is the first Monday after Labor Day. This should give you time to go over the details of your pitch with your team mates and to make sure everything is in order. do NOT wait until August 25th to start working on your pitch!
If you have any questions concerning your pitch please feel free to contact us over the summer. The best way to do this is to already have work assembled and posted online. Send us a link so we can view you work and respond accordingly.
B. FALL PITCH OVERVIEW
Present a comprehensive vision for your Thesis Project including a representation of the work you have done to date, and a realistic plan towards completion over the next nine months.The Idea: Visually interesting, conceptually engaging and ultimately achievable. The presentation must be clear, concrete and concise. You will have 10 minutes to deliver your pitch and 5 minutes for follow up questions.
Length & Complexity: There are lots of variables depending on skill sets and team size. The following are guidelines to consider.
Short Films - should range between 2 and 5 minutes depending on team size and complexity of your content.
Series Pitch Bibles - should be accompanied by a short animated teaser or a show opener. By incorporating simplicity into your designs, you may be able to make the case for adding complexity in other areas.
Games - should have a limited amount of levels with the possibility of adding more.
Interactive Stories - should be short enough to bring strong visual and interactive design to every page.
Technology: All proposed projects must be accompanied by a track record of proven technology. Any plans to use new technology must be explored and demonstrated to a reasonable extent BEFORE the incoming fall semester. Which means extensive technical research and development during the summer months.
Talent Pool: We strongly encourage collaboration utilizing the variety of expertise among your peers. You will need to provide names, roles, and work samples of the talent you plan to engage for your project. To maintain accountability, key roles must be filled by current seniors working for credit. Smaller roles may be filled by others on a volunteer basis.
C. POSSIBLE OUTCOMES OF THE THESIS PITCH
Every BFA Animation student graduating from the Animation Program is required to participate at some level in an approved Sr. Thesis Project. For various reasons the number of projects allowed to move forward are limited. The following are possible outcomes to the Sr. Thesis Fall pitch process.
Congratulations! . . . Your Project is Green-lit: This means you have the means to move forward on executing your project as pitched. You can assemble your team (with some guidance from the faculty) and begin work on any revisions from your pitch notes.
Approval Pending, Continue Development: This means that we are excited about the project but it still needs a level of refinement. If development is not satisfactory by mid-semester the team could be redistributed to work on other projects.
Research Project and/or Freelance Placement: If for whatever reason, your pitch is not approved to move forward as a Thesis Project, it may be trimmed and resubmitted as a personal Research Project. At that point, you will also be assigned to an approved Thesis Project where your skills, artistic style and interests can best be utilized. Depending on the demand of your particular skill sets, these assignments will most likely be on a “freelance” basis.
2. SR. THESIS FALL PITCH - THE BREAKDOWN
A. WRITTEN ELEMENTS/TREATMENT
The following written elements (or "Treatment") should work as a guide to your presentation.
A. Project Description: In two or three sentences describe your project. Is it a 2D graphic game, a pilot to an animated web series, a short animated film, etc.? What media will you be utilizing to execute your project? Is there anything unique about the way you will be approaching the work? How long is is the project? How many levels? Who is your primary audience?
B. Controlling Idea or “Theme”: In a single sentence state What your film is about. Often this can be stated in a "What if . . ." question. Brad Bird's pitch to Warner Brother executives for The Iron Giant was: "What if a gun had a soul"
C. Plot Synopsis: In a single paragraph tell us the Story of your piece. If you're unclear about certain events in the plot try not to let them distract from the over-all arc of your project.
D. Team-members: Who are the players and what are their respective roles?
E. Personal Connection: Finally, why are you passionate about making this piece? What is it that interests you most and why should we care enough to support it?
B. PUBLIC PRESENTATION
You and your team will be presenting your Pitch publically on the first Monday after Labor Day. You'll have 10 minutes to present and 5 for answering questions. It is your job to make us believe in the larger vision of your project. Filling in the smaller gaps will come with further development. We recommend that your presentation be primarily image-based accompanied by well-chosen talking points lifted from the Written Elements below.
C. PICTURES, SOUND & MEDIA
Your presentation should inspire a singular visual direction for your project. Depending on the nature of your project, use some or all of the following elements:
A. Rough Storyboards or Story Reel: If you are pitching boards be sure to format them so that you can "flip" from frame to frame as if it were an animatic. Even better, cut the boards into a storyreel with scratch audio and sound queues. It's hard to under estimate how valuable a good storyreel can be in selling a film concept. If you are unsure about timings, stick to the multi-panel story pitch where you can advance the panels along-side a verbal pitch.
B. Reference Images: Historical Reference is a great way to lay out the direction of your film in areas that are yet to be developed. These images should convey a Singular Vision for your piece. Avoid showing a laundry list of rejected possibilities.
C. Concept and Development: At this point, both rough images and color concept can be used to promote your project. Include anything that can help us see the visual direction your project is taking. Feel free to show images that represent the search, but don't overwhelm us with drawings that distract from your vision. Be sure to make use of the development tools as they apply to your project; exploration sheets, character turn-arounds, pose sheets, character line-ups, color keys, etc. It's all fair game.
D. Inspirational Examples: Bring examples of existing media as examples of design inspiration. This may take the shape of short trailers, frame grabs, and concept art that are closely related to the feel of your project. Whatever you present, be sure to trim your items to keep from bogging down your presentation.
E. Test Footage, Maya Files, Etc.: Set up any files you have in such a way that they are easy to navigate in front of an audience. If the file is too cumbersome consider using rendered images, playblasts or frame grabs. Take time to edit these down to concisely communicate what you want us to take away.